Great news! Three big changes are coming to the SSI program on September 30, 2024. These changes will help thousands of people get more SSI benefits.
Previously, the Social Security Administration (SSA) reduced SSI benefits for people who received help from friends, family, or others in certain situations. This is called In-Kind Support and Maintenance (ISM), which lowers the monthly income for people on SSI.
However, SSA has made changes to their complicated ISM rules to allow more people on SSI to get help with food and housing costs. Beginning September 30, 2024:
Update: SSI recipients will no longer face benefit reduction for getting help with food or groceries.
Old rule: Previously, disabled people’s benefits could be cut by up to one-third if they received any kind of help with food—even for something as minor as a family member bringing them groceries.
SSI recipients will no longer face benefit reduction for receiving any discount to their housing cost, as long as they spend at least one-third of their monthly SSI payment on rent.
Old rule: Previously, disabled people were penalized for renting a place that was cheaper than what Social Security considered the market rate. This included renting a place from a friend or family member who was charging only a small amount of rent.
Update: SSI recipients who live in a household with any other person on certain public benefits, including SNAP (or food stamps), will not have their SSI benefits reduced for receiving help from other members of their household.
Old rule: Previously, disabled people were exempt from SSI benefit cuts if they lived in a “public assistance household,” which was a household where every person living there received certain public benefits like Work First Family Assistance (TANF). SNAP (food stamps) was not previously included in the list of eligible public benefits. Now, if an SSI recipient lives with any other person receiving public benefits, including SNAP benefits, their SSI benefits will not be cut for that reason.
In North Carolina alone, thousands of people live in a household with another member receiving food stamp benefits. The change to exempt all these SSI recipients from ISM will result in extra income assistance for low-income North Carolina families.
To benefit from these changes to the SSI rules on in-kind support and maintenance, you will need to contact your local Social Security Field Office to report changes on your living arrangements. To benefit from the changes to the public assistance household rules, you may need to provide verification that another member of your household receives food stamps. The Notice of Eligibility for food stamps that your household or household member received from the Department of Social Services is sufficient documentation of your household’s status.
If you have additional questions about these changes, please contact Legal Aid of North Carolina for more information.
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